Dispenser having a tape severing knife and automatically acting tape-brake



C. P. TAYLOR May 22, 1956 2,746,546 DISPENSER HAVING A TAPE SEVERING KNIFE AND AUTOMATICALLY ACTING TAPE-BRAKE Filed Aug. 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q T w T m I k \w Fm i \w\ M m 0 K a Q a r Q. W .Q a Wm M W k wmvm wh xw J m INVENTOR. CHARLES P. TAYLOR May 22, 1956 c. P. TAYLOR 2,746,546

DISPENSER HAVING A TAPE SEVERING KNIFE AND AUTOMATICALLY ACTING TAPE-BRAKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1952 INVENTOR.

CHARLES R TAYLOR BY United States Patent DISPENSER HAVING A TAPE SEVERING KNIFE AND AUTOMATICALLY ACTING TAPE-BRAKE Charles P. Taylor, Belleville, Ill., assignor to Ideal Stencil iifiaclrine Company, Belleville, 11]., a corporation of wins Application August 25, 1952, Serial No. 306,208

9 Claims. (Cl. 164-845) This invention relates to improvements in dispensers for strip materials, and more particularly to animproved device for use in a tape dispenser of pull-and-tear type, providing a better control of withdrawal and severance of certain types of mechanically dispensed adhesive tapes.

This applicant is aware that in many of the types of portable dispensing devices for use with gummed paper tape, as well as tape of so-called cloth or filled types, the prevalent practice is to withdraw by pulling a requisite length of tape or strip, moistening same incident to the pulling operation, if the tape be of adhesive coated type requiring moistening, then severing the strip. Particilarly with the increasing usage of tapes of so-called filled types, considerable difliculty has been encountered with preexisting types of dispensers due to the high severance resistance of tapes of these types. It is accordingly a principal and major objective of the present invention to obviate the tendencies, when using conventional tape dispensers, toward ragged or incomplete severance of the tape, withdrawal in an excessive length, sometimes with waste or mutilation, and the requirement of rewinding the tape withdrawn in unneeded lengths incident to repeated incomplete severing operations.

More particularly expressed in reference to the function of the current improvements, the present invention objectively provides an automatically acting tape-brake which is instantly operable incident to the normal tape shearing operation, thus positively precluding waste of the tape and greatly reducing the eflort of actual cutoff of the desired length of the material dispensed, particularly when employing filled tapes.

A further and highly important objective is realized in a novel tape guide having an embracing relation at least to the margins of the tape, and which serves positively to direct the tape to a zone between the moistening and cutoff regions.

A still further objective of major import is realized in a unique combination of a floating tape guide and the braking and cutoff elements, such that the brake serves normally to prevent casual or unwanted issuance of the tape, yet such that upon normal withdrawal of the tape, the brake is automatically released therefrom by a lostmotion connection between the tape guide and a combined brake and knife support.

Numerous other advantageous features are found in the relative arrangement, location and simplicity of the coacting tape control elements, together with other advantages and features of construction and function, all of which will more clearly appear from the following detailed description particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a tape dispenser of pulland-tear type embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along staggered planes indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the front or tapeissuance end of the device;

2,746,546 Patented May 22, 1956 ice Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view in a vertical plane particularly located by line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view in a transverse plane located by line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a journalled portion of one of the tape guide rollers, as located by line 6-6 of Fig. 2, and

Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, fragmentary longitudinal sectional views partly in elevation through that portion of the device containing the floating tape guide together with the brake and knife mechanism and portions of the moistening arrangement, Fig. 7 showing the tape guide and the brake and knife arm as positioned during the first tape withdrawal and moistening operation, and Fig. 8 showing the same parts as positioned during the tear-off or tape severance step.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, a supporting frame for and constituting part of the assembly, consists of a top-open metal receptacle of rectangular aspect, including side walls 10 and 11, a bottom 12, and end walls 13 and 14. The end wall 14 may, as is preferred, constitute the front element of a removable receptacle in the form of a drawer open at its top, provided with a pull knob 15, a bristle or other brush 16 supported in a brush block 17 Within a chamber 20 containing a moistening liquid, usually water.

There is formed in the rear end region of the container or frame, a seat for rotatively supporting a supply roll of the tape to be dispensed, the roll being indicated at SR, and which bears upon a pair of transverse rollers 21 bridging and journalled in the side walls 10 and 11. Below the rollers 21 is located a concave deflector indicated at 22, and secured as by tabs 23, being welded for example, to walls 10 and 11.

Journalled in rotative and bridging relation to the side walls 10-11 is a tape guide roller 24, and a second such roller 25. These rollers are usually alternately employed to direct the tape issuing from the roll SR toward a horizontal plane. The roller 24 will be utilized in the case of an outside-coated tape and the roll 25 in the case of an inside-coated tape, the coating having reference to the adhesive applied to one side of the strip or tape. Whichever of the'rolls 24-25 be currently utilized, the tape will be directed therefrom toward and over a fixed guide platen 26 provided with a ramp portion 27, portion 26 serving to direct the tape, as will appear, into a floating tape guide generally indicated at 30, and later described in detail.

Just beyond the guide 30 the tape T reaches a zone of severance and issuance at the right hand or front end of the device as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By reason of the somewhat greater tearing effort required, and other factors, it is sometimes expedient to locate the dispenser in a fixed position as on a table or the like, for which purpose the device is provided at its corners with holddown flanges 28 each apertured as at 29 to receive a holddown screw (not shown).

The foregoing description is included principally for completeness of understanding of the device as a whole, but referring now more particularly to the severance and braking provisions as well as the floating tape guide forming a part of the same assembly, it will appear particularly from the sectional view of Fig. 4, that the floating tape guide generally indicated at 30 includes a flat or planar bottom portion 31. This may conveniently be formed of sheet metal and the sides thereof extended upwardly of the bottom 31 to constitute short vertical margins 32 in turned at about a right angle to form horizontal flanges 33. Thus, as will appear from Fig. 4, the tape T is at least marginally embraced by the bottom and the side channel portions of the floating tape guide. From this arrangement it results that the tape T is kept at all times substantially parallel to the plane of the bottom element 31 until issuance of the tape from the guide 30.

To facilitate feeding the tape into the guide 30 the rear margin of piece 31 is provided with a sloping downturned margin or lip 34 and the rear margins of the flanges 33 are similarly formed but turned upwardly as indicated at 34A. These sloping flanges collectively form an entrance mouth leading into the floating guide, as will appear.

The plate 31 of the floating tape guide is secured to or integrally formed to provide a pivotal structure including a pair of downturned apertured ears or projections 35, the apertures therein serving to receive a pivot member 36 through which the tape guide is rockably mounted for a limited up and down movement about an axis defined by the element 36.

The automatic brake and cutoff knife support are structurally and functionally combined for purposes of simplicity and positively coordinated action. In the arrangement shown, there is provided a plate or arm and appurtenant parts generally indicated at 40. The assembly 40 is provided in its intermediate area with a large finger opening (Fig. l) 41, from which this arm or plate is characterized by two spaced side portions 42. Each of a pair of L-shaped pivot arms has one leg 45 secured as by welding at each side of the assembly 40, thence extends vertically downwardly into the housing or frame with its inner end apertured as at 43 to receive a pivot pin 44 bridging the side walls 1011, this provision being made to provide a limited vertical rocking movement of the assembly 40 about an axis identified with that of the pin 44.

Somewhat forwardly of a vertical plane including the axis of the brake-knife assembly, each of the vertical legs designated at 45 is apertured to receive the pin 36 through which the floating tape guide 30 is pivotally and rockably supported. There is also to be noted that each of the legs 45 is provided in its upper and forward margin, with a recess 46, the margin of this recessed portion engaging a fixed stop pin 47 bridging the side walls 10-11 of the frame, and acting to limit the forward and downward rocking movement of the assembly 40. Upward and rearward tilting movement of the assembly 40 is limited by the brake, as will later appear.

Preferably at the extreme rear end of the arm constituting the upper plate assembly 40, are a pair of tension springs 50, the upper tang of each of which extends through a suitable spring aperture 51 and the lower tangs of which are similarly secured each to a serially apertured adjustment plate 52, in such manner that a selected aperture of each member 52 may be drawn over the end of a pin or screw 53 projecting inwardly of the adjacent side wall 10 or 11 of the frame. A finger tab or flange 54 is formed on the lower end of each piece 52 to facilitate this adjustment.

The assembly 40, considered as a pivoted arm or as a lever, having its pivot axis identified with member 44, comprises a rearmost short lever arm and a forwardmost longer arm. Carried by the end of the arm is an element shown as consisting of a button of rubber or a rubber-like material and designated at 55 and which is located so as normally to engage as a brake shoe, the tape T immediately above the fixed platen 26. Thus, between periods of movement of the tape T the springs 50 will urge the brake button 55 downwardly against the tape T sufficiently to prevent its casual or unintended withdrawal. The brake element 55 is provided with a headed stem or shank 56 projecting through a suitable aperture therefor in the inner end of the plate or arm of assembly 40.

At the opposite end of the assembly 40, the plate constituting the longer end of the lever arm, is turned upwardly as indicated at '7 to form a transverse flange suitably tapped to receive knife holding screws 60 engaging apertures therefor in a razor-type bevelled edge knife 61, the edge of which is disposed across the tape at the issuance zone thereof as a convenient shearing element.

Due to the fact that the floating tape guide 30 is pivoted by pin 36 to the vertical legs 45 of the rockable knifebrake assembly, the arrangement is such that the tape guide 30 has a limited lost-motion movement within the assembly 40. This movement will, incident to usual tape issuance and severance operations, be imparted to the member 30 by the hand of the operator acting through the unissued but unrolled length of tape.

As a means for adjustably limiting the permissive (downward) movement of the tape and hence of the tape guide 30, each with respect to assembly 40, there are provided a pair of adjustable abutments comprised of screws 62 extended through tapped apertures therefor in the rear ends of the respective side portions 42. Each of screws 62 is provided with a lock nut so as to maintain the adjustment thereof. Those portions of the adjustment screws 62 which project below the side portions 42 serve to abut the rearmost portions of the floating tape guide 30, and thus act to limit the free downward movement of the guide within the brake-knife assembly. It may be noted that the permissive range of upward movement of this guide relative to the assembly 40, is determined by abutment of the outer end of the guide adjacent the lower or inner surface of the plate portion of assembly 40.

The brake-knife assembly is limited as to range of its rocking movement, as follows:

Downward movement of the knife end of the assembly 40 is determined by the engagement of the recessed portions 46 with the limit pin 47, as above described, and limit of movement of the rockable assembly 40 in the opposite direction is established by engagement of the brake button or shoe with the tape, the member 40 being normally biased into this tape-braking position by the tension of springs 50.

Although the operation of the device incident to its normal usage is thought to have become apparent from the foregoing detailed description of its components, it may be noted for completeness that the top opening 41 in the plate constituting elements 42, together with the spaced relation of the two flanges 33 of the tape guide, permits finger access directly to the uppermost surface of the tape T in the guide 30. There is thus exposed to access a length of say 4 or 5" of the tape, permitting an equal range of movement of the tape, by frictional engagement thereof with the fingers. The tape end then protruding forwardly of the knife is readily pulled to feed forwardly of the knife the requisite additional length of tape. It will be noted that, incident to the downward manual pressure on the exposed tape surface, whether the tape be pushed or pulled to propel same outwardly of the issuance zone, the resulting downward movement of the tape will bring its gummed surface over the brush 16 for moistening same, when required. Also, as will best appear from a comparison of Figs. 7 and 8, the downward movement of the tape guide, i. e., clockwise about its pivot 36, will cause the tail of the tape guide to engage the stop screws 62 with the effect of lifting the tail of the assembly 40, and hence releasing the brake element 55 from the strip.

When the requisite length of tape is withdrawn, the tape is, for purposes of severance, lifted against the knife 61. The first result of this lifting action is to impart to the assembly 40 a turning moment, counterclockwise in direction (Figs. 2, 7 and 8) with the immediate effect of bringing the brake element 55 and the platen 26 into gripping relation to the tape. Thus, irrespective of the pull imparted to the tape incident to severance thereof, it is impossible to withdraw inadvertently or otherwise, any more than the wanted length of the strip. This feature thus overcomes a prevalent difiiculty frequently encountered particularly with those types of tape which include fibers of other than the usual paper or cellulose materials rendering the tape somewhat more difficult to cut or tear, than is the case with less resistant, wholly paper products.

It should be noted that the assembly as described may be constructed as a fully operative structure by utilizing a tape guide approximating that indicated at 30, but which is fixedly related to the rockable knife and brake assembly 40. However experiments have shown that better results are had by providing for an appreciable range of movement of the tape T downwardly against the moistening agency such as brush 16, and likewise permitting a substantial movement of the tape upwardly to the knife 61, intervening any corresponding movements of the structure 40. Such a latitude of permissive movement of the tape upwardly or downwardly, renders the brake control much less critical, and assures against undesirable actuation of the assembly 40 under certain conditions. Furthermore, the fact that the tape T may be thus lifted and lowered, while it is substantially fully embraced by the floating tape guide assembly 30, assures against any hazard of twisting, wrinkling or other distortion of the tape in this region. Still further, the floating support of the tape guide structure 30 renders much less critical the exact height of the moistening agency-such as brush 16, and the provision for lifting the member 30 facilitates removal of the moistening reservoir and brush endwise of the receptacle-frame.

The floating tape guide or chute serves a further valuable purpose viz., in normally keeping that portion of the tape just ahead of the knife, from engaging the brush 16 except when the tape is drawn downwardly for moistening. This provision precludes spoilage of adhesive, with resultant dead areas, during out-of-action periods. The downward and forward tilt of the tape chute prevents moisture flow by gravity back to the unrolled but unissued portions of the tape.

From the foregoing it will have appeared that the embodiment described serves fully to realize the several objects and advantages expressed and implied. Although the invention has been described by particularized reference to a single embodiment, the detail of description should be understood as instructive rather than limiting, many variants being possible within the fair scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, means for pivotally connecting said brake and knife support to said frame, a knife carried by the support at its forward end, a brake carried by the support at its rearward end, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivotmeans pivotally connecting said tape guide to said knife and brake support, spring means connected to the knife and brake support, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being located rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the knife and brake support and'the frame.

2. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on i said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, means for pivotally connecting said knife and brake support to said frame, a knife carried by the support at its forward end, a brake carried by said support at its rearward end, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means'pivotally connecting said tape guide to said knife and brake support at a point forwardly of the pivotal connection between the knife and brake support and the frame, spring means connected to the knife and brake support, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being rcarwardly of the pivotal connection between the tape guide and the knife and brake support.

3. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, means for pivotally connecting said knife and brake support to said frame, a knife carried by the support at its forward end, a brake carried by the support at its rearward end, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife "and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to said knife and brake support, the knife and brake support being provided with an opening extending over the tape guide, spring means connecting said knife and brake support to said frame, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the knife and brake support and the frame.

4. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over 7 said platen, arms extending downwardly from said support, pivot means for pivotally connecting said arms to said frame, a knife carried by the support at its forward end, a brake carried by the support at its rearward end, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to the arms of said knife and brake support, spring means connected to the knife and brake support, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and. the knife and brake support, said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the tape guide and the knife and brake support.

5. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, arms extending downwardly from said support, 1

means for pivotally connecting said arms to said frame, a knife carried by the support at its forward end, a brake carried by the support at its rearward end, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and locatpd forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to the arms of said knife and brake support at a point forwardly of the pivotal connection between the knife and brake support and the frame, spring means connected to the knife and brake support, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support. said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the tape guide and the knife and brake support.

6. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, arms extending downwardly from said support, pivot means for pivotally connecting said arms to said frame, a knife carried by the support at its forward end, a brake carried by the support at its rearward end and extending downwardly toward the platen, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to the arms of said knife and brake support at a point forwardly of the pivotal connection between the knife and brake support and the frame, spring means connecting the rearward end of said knife and brake support to said frame, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardlly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the tape guide and the knife and brake support.

7. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, arms extending downwardly from said support, pivot means pivotally connecting said arms to said frame, a knife carried by said support at its forward end, a brake carried by said support at its rearward end,

said brake extending downwardly toward the platen, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to the arms of the knife and brake support at a point forwardly of the pivotal connection between the arms and said frame, the knife and brake support being provided with an opening extending over the tape guide, spring means connecting the brake carrying end of the knife and brake support to said frame, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection bebetween the tape guide and knife and brake support.

8. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, arms extending downwardly from each side of said support, means for pivotally connecting said arms to said frame, a knife carried by the support forwardly of said pivotal connection, a brake carried by said support rearwardly of said pivotal connection, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to the arms of the knife and brake support at a point upwardly and forwardly of the pivotal connection between the arms and said frame, a spring means connected to the support rearwardly of the pivotal connection of said arm to said frame, and connected to said frame, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the tape guide and the knife and brake support.

9. In a dispenser, a frame, a fixed horizontal platen on said frame, a knife and brake support disposed over said platen, arms extending downwardly from each side of said support, means for pivotally connecting said arms to said frame, a knife carried by the support forwardly of said pivotal connection, a brake carried by said support rearwardly of said pivotal connection, and extending downwardly toward said platen, a tape guide mounted beneath the knife and brake support, and located forwardly of said platen, pivot means pivotally connecting said tape guide to the arms of the knife and brake support at a point upwardly and forwardly of the pivotal connection between the arms and said frame, the knife and brake support having an opening extending over the tape guide, a spring means connected to the knife and brake support rearwardly of the pivotal connection of said arm to said frame, and connected to said frame, said spring means tending to urge the brake downwardly against the platen, and an abutment between the rear end of the tape guide and the knife and brake support, said abutment being rearwardly of the pivotal connection between the tape guide and the knife and brake support.

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